Display rack



G. H. JANTZEN DISPLAY RACK May z8, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Filed aan. a, 1962 INVENTO R ifaf-H @fs/725V May 28, 1963 G. H. JANTzEN DISPLAY RACK Filed Jan. 8, 1962 Tia 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mln IIN! Ill lll 27 Tlc'- United States Patent O 3,091,341 DISPLAY RACK George H. Jantzen, New York, N.Y., assignor to Steinthal Sample Co., Inc., New York, N.Y., va corporation of New York Filed Jan. 8, 1962, Ser. No. V164,724- 6- Claims. (Cl. 2.11-47) The present invention relates to Aa display rac-k land TelaeS, more Particularly, to a rack for displaying a number of sample swatches of fabric or the like.

'An object of the invention is to provide a. rack for displaying a number of sample swatches in a manner m which each of the swat-ches may be readily inspected. A further object of the invention is to `provi-de a display rack which permits the sample swatches to be installed on the rack or to be removed therefrom without the use of tools.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and will be better understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a ,front elevational view of a display rack embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale-of the display rack shown `in FIG. 1 with certain parts thereof being shown in exploded relation;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical section and on lan enlarged scale of a part of the display rack shown in FIG. l;

4 is a fragmentary view in partial `section of a portion of the display rack shown in FIG. l, but on a still larger scale; and

FIG. 5 is a section view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a display rack ernbodying lthe invention comprises an upright support which may be in the -form of la rod. The lower end of the support tits into a socket 11` mounted on top of a base `12. which. holds the support in a vertical position.

'I'he upper end of the vertical support is connected by suitable means to the center of a horizontal crossbar 13 which forms arms 13a extending outwardly from the vertical support on opposite sides thereof. The arms carry swatch supporting structures which are identical and hence, only one need be described.

Each arm. which may be of rectangular cross-section with a round shaft-like portion 13b at its outer end, carries a pair of spaced end plates 14, 15 in the form of discs which niay be made from plastic or other suitable material. -One of the end plates is located on the arm adjacent the center support, and a pair of sleeves 16 having annular flanges 17 yare mounted on the arm so that the llanges bear `against opposite sides of the plate. In addition, Ia tubular member 18 surrounds the arm and extends between the two end plates.

The end of one of the sleeves extends into the tubular member and engages with one end of a coil spring 19 loca-ted inside of the tubular member. The other end of the coil spring abuts against a C-washer 20 which iits into a circular groofve 21 in the arm Iand the sleeve can be moved into the tubular member 'against the pres- -sure of the spring. Thus, the spring normally urges the sample-supporting plate toward the center support through its action on the sleeve, but -as shown in FIG. 4, the plate may be moved inwardly by linger pressure against the force of the spring.

The other end plate is carried at the round shaft-like end of the A sleeve 22 having an annular ange 23 is carried by the arm with the iiange bearing against the inner surface of the plate and with the other end 3,091,341 Patented May 28, 1963Y ICC of the -sleeve extending `into the tubular member on the A self-holding type of' washer 24 which is forced onto the end of the arm on the outside of the plate, holds the plate `and the entire assembly in yplace on the arm. The end of the arm may be capped byV a ball 25.

The outer surface tof each ofthe `end yplates contains a groove 26 which extends around the plate ,adjacent its outer perimeter and is shaped to receive a hook-'shaped end 2.7 of a wire -rod 28 to which a sample swatch Z9 is attached. The hook-shaped ends of the wire rod face inwardly or toward each other and are spaced so that when the end plates are at their normal spacing, they Will extend into grooves in the outer surfaces of the -respeotive plates. Under these conditions, the coil spring maintains the end yplates at their normal spacing and the plates in tur-n support the swatches.

As shown .in FIG. 4, a Isample swatch may be readily removed from the display unit by v'pushing the inner end plate along -the arm against the action of the spring so |as to reduce the distance between the end plates by an amount suicient to permit the hooked end of the wire rod to be released from .the grooves in the outersurfaces of the plates. The 4same procedure is followed -i-n adding swatches to the display rack and both operations can be readily accomplished without the use ,of tools.

'I'he swatches are attached to the wire rod by lmeans of a paper backing 30 or the like which is folded around the rod and has its free ends attached to the sample. Identiiication of the sample may be vprinted on the backing.

A large number of sample swatches may be displayed on a rack constructed in this manner and the individual swatches can be -freely moved around the end plates from which they are supported.

It will :be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the particular embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated and described herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention las defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A display rack for exhibiting sample swatches, which comprises an upright support, an ar-m connected to Kand extending outwardly from said support, a pair of end plates carried on said arm, each of said end plates having an outer surface which contains `a groove extending around the plate adjacent its outer edge and at least one of said plates being slidable on the arm for maintaining said plates in spaced relation relative to each other, and a swatch supporting member extending between the spaced plates at the router edges thereof, said swatch supporting member having portions at opposite ends thereof which lit into the Igrooves in the |outer surfaces of the end plates.

2. A display rac-k for exhibiting sample swatches, which comprises an upright support, a pair of arms connected to and extending outwardly from said support, a pair of end plates carried by each of said arms, each of said end plates having an outer surface which contains a groove extend-ing around the plate adjacent its outer edge, one of the plates of each pair being slidable on the arm, spring means for maintaining the plates of each pair in spaced relation relative to each other, and swatch supporting members extend-ing between the plates of each pair at their outer edges, each of said members having portions at their ends litting into the grooves in outer surfaces of the end plates.

3. vIn a rack for displaying sample swatches, the combination which includes yan arm, a pair of end plates carried by said arm, each of said end plates having an outer surface which contains a groove extending around the plate adjacent its outer edge, at least one of said plates being slidable on the arm, spring means for resilient-ly maintaining said plates in predetermined spaced relation relative to each other, and a sample swatch supporting member extending between the spaced plates at the outer edges thereof, said member having porti-ons at its ends extending int-o the grooves in the outer surfaces of the end plates.

4. `In a lrack for displaying a number o-f sample swatches, the combination which includes an arm, a pair of end plates carried by said arm at opposite ends thereof, at least one of said plates `being slidalble lengthwise of the alim, each of said end plates having an outer surface which contains a groove extending around the platte adjacent its outer edge, a tubular member surrounding the arm and extending between the end plates, a coil spring located inside of the tubular member and acting on the slidable end plate, said spring resiliently urging said slidable end plate toward va predetermined position with respect t0 the other end plate, and a member for supporting a sample swatch extending the plates at their outer edges, said member having inwardly-facing, hook-shaped portions at its ends extending into the grooves in the outer surfaces of the end plates.

5. A rack `for displaying a series of sample swatches, which comprises a Isupporting arm, a pair of plates mounted on said arm, at Ileast one of the plates being movable lengthwise yof the ann relative :to the other plate, spring means acting on and normally urging .the movable plate toward a position lspaced from the other plate, each of said plates having an outwardly facing surface, each of said outwardly facing surfaces having a groove formed therein and extending around the plate adjacent an outer edge thereof, a swatch supponting member extending between -the end plates, said swatch `supporting member having inwardly `faoing hook shaped portions at opposite ends thereof, each of said hook -shaped portions having an end extending into the groove inthe outwardly facing surface of `one of the plates and being removable therefrom upon movement of the movable plate toward the other plate.

6. A rack for displaying a series yof sample swatehes, which comprises a supporting arm, a pair of plates mounted on said ann in spaced relation to each other, at least one of said pla-tes being movable relative to the yother plate, each of `said plates having a surface extend- References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,695,322 Day Dec. 18, 1928 2,662,528 Herzog Dec. l5, 1953 2,716,410 OHara Aug. 30, 1955 2,942,373 Campbell June 28, 1960 

1. A DISPLAY RACK FOR EXHIBITING SAMPLE SWATCHES, WHICH COMPRISES AN UPRIGHT SUPPORT, AN ARM CONNECTED TO AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SUPPORT, A PAIR OF END PLATES CARRIED ON SAID ARM, EACH OF SAID END PLATES HAVING AN OUTER SURFACE WHICH CONTAINS A GROOVE EXTENDING AROUND THE PLATE ADJACENT ITS OUTER EDGE AND AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PLATES BEING SLIDABLE ON THE ARM FOR MAINTAINING SAID PLATES IN SPACED RELATION RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER, AND A SWATCH SUPPORTING MEMBER EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SPACED PLATES AT THE OTHER EDGES THEREOF, SAID SWATCH SUPPORTING MEMBER HAVING PORTIONS AT OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF WHICH FIT INTO THE GROOVES IN THE OUTER SURFACES OF THE END PLATES. 